UK: we will use nukes first

DEFENCE chiefs are drawing up plans for a "first strike" strategy using nuclear weapons.
For the first time Britain could use battlefield nuclear weapons against enemy troops and terrorist targets.

Oh yes, what troops are these then? Who do you have in mind?
Armies with chemical and biological weapons would be hit with short range "tactical" nuclear missiles.

Oh, you mean Iraq. Why didn't you say that then in this 'testing the water' article.
Small nuclear bombs would also be targeted on heavy bunkers and deep cave complexes like the ones used by al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.

And Sadam's bunkers. I know he scurries down these at times of trouble, and never sleeps in the same house more than once, just like the fugitives from war crimes charges in the former Yugoslavia, and they've done well out of that - very difficult to pin them down in order to arrest them. So, nuking possible houses or bunkers that may or may not hold Sadam... Well, that holds more water.
US defence experts have been ordered to start the rapid development of new weapons.

Doh, they already have bunker buster nukes.
A senior Westminster source told the Daily Mirror the Ministry of Defence was also planning for their use.

Monkey see, monkey do.
He said: "If you are dealing with forces with weapons of mass destruction and the willingness to use them, then we also need to look at new sorts of weapons technology.
"Destroying deep cave complexes can take huge amounts of manpower and military force."
They thought the non nuke bunker busters would get bin Laden, and were wrong, he was too deep, or his steel doors too air tight.
Donald Anderson, chairman of the Commons foreign affairs committee, called for Ministers to come clean about the proposals.
He said: "The development of a new generation of tactical nuclear weapons in response to the terrorist threat would have implications for arms control policy."

Arms control? Don't be silly, there is no arms control. I see Egypt has bought 24 from North Korea. Sadam has built his own missiles, and is trying to get/build nuke war heads. There really isn't any arms control. Those with the muscle now have to force countries into not ever having nukes, or else, hence the US's stance on Sadam.
There was an argument for updating the nuclear strike policy from the Cold War era, when two sides faced each other with massive arsenals.
But he said: "If it is to be revised it needs to be done with full public debate, not by a few mandarins talking among themselves."
He was backed by a report from his committee.
The all-party group said: "The Government must state clearly what is its policy on the first use of nuclear weapons."

Grow up people, the decision has already been made. Now, all they are doing is spinning the public.
Labour anti-war cam- paigner Alice Mahon said: "This is madness. It will cross a threshold which is totally and completely unacceptable.

Bin Laden's mad muslims will do anything to wipe London or New York off the map. Is this madness? Is this a threshold? Is this completely acceptable?
"It will give the green light to the rest of the world to get in on the nuclear action and develop their own weapons."

Errr... Hello! And good morning, how was your sleep?
She warned that the move will spark a massive rebellion at the party conference in October.
Her Halifax party was planning to put in a motion warning against adopting a new nuclear policy and she expected "dozens and dozens" more to flow in to party HQ. Carol Naughton, chairwoman of CND, said: "The adoption of a first strike strategy, potentially with nuclear weapons, is a very disturbing development."

It's a very disturbing world, when you bother to look around.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon had spelled out the position in the Commons two weeks ago.
Mr Hoon said then: "There has been no change in the essential rules we follow on the use of nuclear weapons.
"They would be used in only what are described as extreme conditions of self-defence ... proportionately and consistently with our obligations in international law."
Mr Hoon caused anger this year when he said Britain would be ready to use its long range nuclear weapons against Iraq.

There you go, told you it had already been decided.
In March it was revealed that US President George Bush had ordered a "nuclear posture review".
He wants battlefield nuclear weapons to be developed within three years to attack deep underground facilities beyond the reach of conventional weapons.
Low yield nuclear warheads could also be used against buried stockpiles of chemical or biological weapons.

493 Also posted to: Home page . At: 12:23:36 PM  . .
Permalink  Top  Search Google  Technorati
Other title(s) for this story: